Fauci Expresses 'Cautious Optimism' About New Vaccine Results: 'Even Better Than We Thought'

Chip Somodevilla / Getty ImagesDr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks to reporters following a meeting of the coronavirus task force in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 6, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also said it remains possible a vaccine against the virus could be available by the end of 2020.

Moderna Inc. announced promising results this week regarding early testing of a COVID-19 vaccine. The company said the vaccine appeared safe and able to ward off the virus, though detailed results have yet to be published.